CERAMIC COMPETITION: Collection grows treasure by treasure

An earthenware piece of a human figure with long legs is one of the early acquisitions of the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts' permanent collection.

The untitled work by Susan Banks won first place in the Fifth Annual Monarch Tile National Ceramic Competition.

"The first three years of the competition we didn't buy anything," said Howard Taylor, the museum's director. "A couple of pieces were gifted to us."

Banks' work was one of about a half dozen works acquired in 1990 by the museum intent on making its ceramics competition one of the best in North America.

A quarter of a century after its first competition, the museum's permanent collection has grown to include more than 500 works worth more than a half million dollars. It includes the works of some the world's most accomplished ceramists.

"Early on, when I came here, we decided to be a collecting museum, but we had no real collection to begin with," Taylor said. "As a small museum, we said this (ceramics) is an area where we could really stand out. And the works are far less expensive. By having the competition, we could buy directly from the artists."

A bulk of the permanent collection is tucked away in a large, crowded storage room in the museum. There are traditional decorative works mixed with contemporary works locked away from the public's view.

About one-third of the collection fills exhibition space on the museum's second floor. The lighted, glass displays offer visitors a window into today's fine arts world.

While the collection pays respects to the ceramic world's traditional ties to functional and decorative works, it includes cutting-edge pieces that incorporate sculpture and abstract

expression.

A collection piece, for example, titled "Brown lens case" looks like it's made of leather, not clay.

"This work kind of fools the eye," Taylor explained. "The artist is making a statement - look deeper."

In 1986, the museum formed its Collectors Society, a panel that helps make buying recommendations for the permanent collection. Gifts from leading ceramic artists and dealers such as Garth Clark and Mark Del Vecchio are another force driving the collection's growth.

A week after the 19th San Angelo National Ceramic Competition, Taylor already has his eye on some of the works on exhibition. Some of the pieces are marked with blue dots indicating the museum's interest.

A display of beautiful cups with ants painted on them is being considered for purchase. There are lots of other works on the list because they are unique or fit nicely into what the museum already owns.

The collection is already anchored by a handful of works that won the top prize in past ceramics competitions. Some works are whimsical. Others serious.

"Agatha," for example, is a wonderful, colorful piece showing the artist's love of dogs. "Men with guns" shows human figures with barrels as body parts. A local favorite is a brilliant blue work titled: "Urchin Series."

For a community San Angelo's size, the collection represents an ever-changing link to what's happening in the world, Taylor said.

"It gives San Angelo an image that goes way, way beyond," he said. "It's amazing to have kids who come back and say the museum provided inspiration for them."

The collection is young by most museum standards, but it is filled with gems. The prospect of adding more valuable works is promising.

A private collector from the East Coast, for example, visited San Angelo recently to experience the competition. The collector is considering making a gift.

"As a ceramics collector some pieces get more valuable than you can have in a private home," the collector said. "When they become that valuable they need to be shared with more people."

The collector, who asked to remain anonymous, said she is impressed with the museum's growing collection. She seemed intrigued by the museum's work and San Angelo as a city.

"What's happening there is fascinating," she said. "San Angelo is an interesting place."